Feed-water regulator.



PATENTED OCT. ll, 1904.

T. M. WILKINS.

FEED WATER- REGULATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.27, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

/IVVENTH WMM/fas J0 BY UNTTED STATES Batented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS M. WILKIN S, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED COM- PANY, OF SEATTLE,WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON. v

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,303, dated October11, 1904.

Application led January 27, 1904. Serial No. 190,760. (No model.)

To a/Z rch/cnt it may concern."

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. WILKINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Tater Regulators,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

10 This invention relates to feed-water regulators for steam-boilers;and the present invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement, and adaptation of devices for automatically controlling thequantity of water I5 supplied to a boiler so `as to maintain thewater-level therein at a constant predetermined elevation. l

The invention has also combined with it a device for overcoming inmarine boilers the 2O swash of water due to the pitching or rocking in aSeaway, thereby extending the inventors field of usefulness to suchservice.

The object of the invention is the perfection of a feed-pump governorwhich is actuated by thev expansive power of heat and which can be usedwith both marine and other type of boilers. This object I attain by themeans shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is acentral vertical Vsection of apparatus embodying my invention attachedtothe water-gage of a steam-boiler. The reference-numeral 2 designates awater column or gage of ordinary or suitable construction which isconnected to the boiler in the usual manner by steam-pipe 3 andwaterpipe 4, by which communications the waterlevcls within both theboiler and the gage are maintained in the same horizontal planes.

In marine boilers the water plane is continually changing by reason ofthe pitching of the vessel in rough water, and to overcome this andretain the water within the gage to its normal level I introduce withinthe water-pipe 4: a double-acting flap-valve 5, hinged at 6 and adaptedto be swung by gravity and the How of water thereby against either ofthe valve-seats 6 and 6, positioned upon opposite sides of the valve andwhich temporarily prevents ingress or egress of the water thereby. Itis, however, oftentimes desirable to blow the water through the gage forcleansing purposes and to which end a stem 7 extends upwardly throughthe bottom of the casing 8 for this valve provided witha fork 7',whereby the valve may be engaged and 55 held in a position semidistantof the said seats. The said stem is screw-threaded and is moved endwiseinto or out of engagement by nuts 9 and 9', positioned, respectively,above and below a bridge-piece l0, integral 6C of the said casing.Secured, as by a screwthreaded extension ll, in axial alinement with thecolumn 2 is acylindrical vessel 12, which is communicatively connectedby pipe 13 to an upright cylinder 14, preferably formed of two parts andsecured integrally together by bolts l5, passing through iianges 14thereof. Extending from the water-level within the gage through thecylinder 12 and to some distance above the latter is a tube 16, which isopen at lower end and closed at its top end by an air-outlet valve 17.This valve is normally held closed by the joint action of the pressurewithin the boiler and of a spring 18l when the boiler is in operation orby the spring alone before the boiler-pressure exceeds the externalatmospheric pressure plus the weight of the valve-opening lever 19 andits attachments. Located within the cylinder 14 is an annular metallicmember 20, having, preferably, annular corrugations 20 and is closed atits top end, as'by a diaphragm 21, and has a peripheral flange 22 at itslower end whereby it may be rigidly secured thereat to and between theflanges 14 of the containing-oylin- 85 der. The space within and belowthemember 20, the annular space of cylinder 12 about the tube 16, andthe pipe 13 are filled with a liquid, such as water or alcohol, for thepurpose to be presently described.

Formed or provided upon the upper .part of the cylinder I4 is avalve-casing 23, having inlet and outlet steam-openings 24 and 24',respectively, and an intermediate valve-seat 25. Fitted to the saidvalve-seat is a valve 26, which is connected integrally by a rod 27,

passing through a suitable stufHng-box, such as 28, with a piston 29loosely slidable in the cylinder 14 and resting directly upon theaforeperature of the latter during the operation of the device, which Iwill now explain.

The water within the gage or water column being supposed to be at itsnormal level, which is a short distance above the lower end of the pipe16 and which is then entirely filled with water, but at a lowertemperature than that of the steam within the boiler-under theseconditions the temperature of the liquid .within the cylinders 12 and 14is at a relatively low temperature. Then the water within the boiler isconsumed for steam or otherwise drawn ott, then the water-level willobviously be lowered, and when it Jfalls below the bottom of pipe 16 thewater thereof will' escape by the force oi' gravity and be replaced bysteam. Vhen this occurs, the liquid within the cylinder 12 becomesheated by contacting with the steam-heated pipe 16 and raises thetemperature of the liquid to generate steam in this cylinder, andthereby displaces a portion of the liquid into the adjoining andconnected cylinder 14 to distend the member 20 and coincidently open thethrottle-valve 26. This permits the steam from the boiler to actuate afeed-pump connected on the pipe 24 and force water into the boiler untilit reaches a level above the lower end of pipe 16. rlhe water nowreplaces the steam within this pipe and at the same time cold water ismade to iiow through the coil 33 acts to lower the temperature of thecylinder 12, and thereby contracts the volume of the contained liquidand condense any steam which may have generated therein. This willcontract the metal of the member 2O and in so doing permit thethrottle-valve being closed by the spring 30.

|The invention is automatic and its operation and eliiciencyaccomplishes the purposes for which intended with certainty anddespatch.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a watergage for steam-boilers, of an uprightcylinder having closed ends and secured in axial alinement to the saidgage, another cylin der having an open end and communicatively connectedto the first-named cylinder, an expansible cylindrical member interiorlyof the last-named cylinder and secured at its lower end thereto, thesaid member being closed at its top end, a valve and its casing,connection between the said valve and the top of said member, and a pipeextending from the normal level of the water within the said gage andaxially through and above the first-named cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a water-gage for steam-boilers, of pipe 16, thespring-closed airvalve 17, an upright cylinder 12 communicativelyconnected by a pipe 13 to another cylinder 14, a cylindrical expansionmember 2O closed at its upper end, a valve 26 and its casing havinginlet and outlet openings, the piston and the rod connection 27 betweenvalve 26 and said piston, a coil of pipe 33 surrounding cylinder 12 anda valve 5 located in the water connection between the said gage and theboiler to which attached, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a water-gage for steam-boilers, of pipe 16, thespring-closed airvalvc 17, an upright cylinder 12 communicativelyconnected by a pipe 13 to another cylinder 14, a cylindrical expansionmember 2O closed at its upper end, a valve 26 and its casing havinginlet and outlet openings, the piston, the rod connection 27 betweenvalve 26 and said piston, substantially as described.

4. r1`he combination with a water-gage, the steam throttle-valve 26 andits casing 23, and the mechanical devices operated by the combinedaction of steam and water within the boiler for opening the said valve,of the valve 5 positioned in the water connection between a boiler andthe said gage, constructed and arranged, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- /THOMAS M. XVILKINS. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, M. E. BREWER.

IOO

